The Last Thing You Are
by Elly3981
Summary: "You know, you never cease to amaze me, Mikasa. How can you not be afraid of me when even I am afraid of myself?" Sequel to 'More then a Brother'


**Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) or any of the characters from the series. I write this fic for your enjoyment only (and mine too) I hope you like it! ^^ I just finished watching this series to the latest episode recently and I loved it. I was inspired to write this upon seeing Mikasa's devotion to Eren and how she stuck by him even when everyone else doubted him. This story takes place roughly after Eren's trial (between episodes 14-15) when he is being treated for his injuries by Hanji. It is the sequel to my other AoT fic 'More then a Brother' and I recommend reading that one first ;) Anyway, on with the show!  
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**The Last Thing You Are**

"Eren…can you hear me? Its time to wake up now…"

Eren slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying in bed in a dimly-lit hospital room with a brunette woman leaning over him. She appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties and wore her hair in a topknot as well as a pair of square-rimmed glasses. He recognized this woman as he saw her present at his recent trial and knew who she was since he had overheard the conversation between her and Mikasa the day before. Still, Eren did not want the woman to know he had been eavesdropping so he feigned ignorance and pretended he didn't recognize her.

"Hello… who are you?" he asked innocently as he placed his hand over his bandaged head where he felt a slight ache.

The woman gave a soft laugh. "Oh my, where are my manners? Allow me to introduce myself: I am Professor Zoe Hanji, chief science officer of the Survey Corps. I have been assigned to monitor your recovery until you are fit for duty again."

Eren raised an eyebrow. Even if he had never seen her before, the name was enough to make him feel queasy. Professor Zoe Hanji was infamously known as the 'Mad Scientist' among her subordinates and superiors alike because for all her scientific brilliance, she always behaved like a little kid who's had way too much sugar whenever she got excited and that alone made her even more frightening and intimidating then the stone-faced Corporal Levi Rivaille.

Trying not to think of what the professor had in store for him, he asked "What happened? How did I get here?" He already knew the answer but had to put on an act so that Hanji would not be suspicious of him; the woman was getting uncomfortably close as she eyed him the way she would eye a lab animal to be experimented on and Eren found his eyes watering in his nervousness and wishing she would back off at least a little.

Fortunately, Hanji took the hint and stepped back as she answered his question while trying her best to avoid mentioning his ordeal with Levi since that was the last thing the youth needed to hear now that he was finally awake. "You passed out not long after the judge decided that you were to be given into the custody of the Survey Corps. Do you remember that?"

"Yes, I think so. I don't remember passing out though…"

"Yes, well that doesn't surprise me; you were exhausted and under a lot of stress as anyone else in your place would have been. Anyway, after you passed out, I had a few of my squad members carry you here where I've been treating you and monitoring your progress ever since."

"I see… how long have I been here?"

"Almost five days. You were in pretty bad shape when you were brought in and I thought it would take a lot of work to treat you but found to my surprise that your body was healing at a phenomenal rate. All of your broken bones have mended on their own without splinters and all you have now are minor bruises; you should be back in perfect condition by tomorrow or maybe even tonight."

Eren took in the professor's words as he ran a hand along his jaw and down to his ribs where he had been struck the hardest. He definitely remembered feeling a few of them break when Levi kicked him in the side and at least a few of his teeth crack where he was hit in the face; he was also sure his jaw had been dislocated as well. If he was an ordinary person, he would no doubt still be in terrible pain but found to his surprise that all he felt were some slight aches from his bruises.

Upon observing Eren's examination of himself, Hanji asked "How do you feel now?"

"Better then I did when I came here, that's for sure."

The professor smiled. "Good, I'm glad to hear that. Commander Erwin Smith has been asking about you; he says he's looking forward to speaking with you when you have fully recovered. Corporal Levi Rivaille too."

Eren could not help but scowl at the mention of the man who practically humiliated him in front of the entire military tribunal and upon seeing the look of displeasure on his face, Hanji regretted mentioning Levi and apologized.

"Eren, I'm truly sorry about what happened. And I don't blame you for being angry but believe it or not, the corporal was actually trying to protect you by putting on a show to prove that you were truly on the side of humans. And he had to make it look convincing otherwise, the court might have executed you on the spot. You may hate him now but you'll eventually thank him someday. And besides, Corporal Rivaille has been asking me about your progress quite often since you were placed in my care. He even came here a few times to check up on you while you were unconscious."

Eren was shocked at the professor's revelation. "Really?"

"Of course. The corporal may appear cold on the surface but he is far from uncaring. The last time we spoke, I expressed my disapproval of how he went about protecting you and he did admit that he went a little too far even though there wasn't a lot of time or choices with your life hanging in the balance. He understands if you don't want to speak to him right now and asked me to apologize to you for him as soon as you woke up."

Eren looked down as he silently processed the professor's words. "I see… if that is the case, then I bear no grudge against him; dwelling in the past won't do me any good now. The question is, what's going to happen to me? Where will I go from here?"

Hanji could not help but smile at the youth's maturity in choosing not to hold a grudge against her superior. His positive attitude would make working with him a lot easier and for that, she was grateful. And though the professor still knew very little about the young man, she was already starting to like him a lot.

"You will work under the Survey Corps, not as our prisoner, but as one of us. Commander Smith will give you all the details as soon as you're well enough to see him. And if its all right with you, I'd also like to study your titan powers a bit since we're going to need to know as much about them as possible, especially so you can learn how to control them. After all, we wouldn't want another accident like the time you lashed out at your friend, Mikasa, would we?"

Upon the mention of his foster sister, Eren felt his heart sink. He didn't need to be reminded twice of how he nearly killed her and worse, couldn't even remember it. Hanji sensed his discomfort and gently placed her hand upon his. "I know what you're thinking, Eren. And I want you to know that Mikasa doesn't blame you for what happened; it wasn't your fault. You only recently discovered your powers and just need guidance in learning how to control them and I promise to do everything I can to help you with that if you'll let me."

Eren looked at the professor, unsure of what to make of her offer. When he was still a cadet, he remembered hearing a lot of not-so-positive rumors about this woman and her obsession with titans so of course, he was uncomfortable with the idea of letting her experiment on him but did not want to offend her by refusing since she had been taking care of him from the first day he was brought in for treatment after his stressful trial.

Upon seeing the hesitation in his eyes, the professor simply smiled and gently massaged his hand with her fingers. "Its alright, Eren, I understand how you must feel as I'm sure you must have heard all those wild rumors about me. However, I can assure you that I'm really not _that _crazy. I still haven't forgotten that you're human and would never treat you like a lab rat. Try to think of me as your doctor and yourself as my patient" she assured him with a wink.

Eren could not help but sigh with relief upon hearing Hanji's promise. He didn't know why, but for some reason, he felt that she was truly sincere in her desire to help him in exchange for knowledge about his powers which he guessed was a small price to pay if he could learn how to control and use them to benefit humanity.

"Very well, I will trust you then. And by the way, would it be all right if I go outside for a bit? I've been cooped up in here for almost a week and could use some fresh air."

Hanji raised an eyebrow. "Of course, I personally wouldn't mind but I do have strict orders not to let you wander off. However, if you'll promise me that you won't leave the hospital grounds, I'll bend the rules and let you go for a bit so long as you keep it a secret from my superiors."

Eren smiled. "Yes, I promise. You have nothing to worry about; I would never do anything to bring their displeasure down on you since you've been so good to me."

"Good, I appreciate it." Hanji said as she got up and prepared to take her leave. "I have to go for now but I'll send someone to bring you some new clothes in a few minutes. The hospital has a garden and courtyard that I'm sure you'll like. Now that you're up and about, I can finally catch up on some of my other work. Feel free to enjoy yourself but please remember to be back by six, ok? I still have to make another report on your recovery progress to submit to Commander Smith."

"Yes, I promise. Good-bye for now, professor. And thank you."

"You may call me Zoe when we are alone. And your welcome, Eren. I'll see you later."

**SSSSSS**

Some time later, after he had changed into a casual dress shirt and slacks, Eren stopped by the cafeteria for a little snack before heading out to the hospital gardens. The youth found it incredible how he didn't feel all that hungry even though he had not eaten in almost a week since he passed out after the trial. But he supposed that could be due to his titan powers; in addition to his incredible regenerative and healing abilities, Eren also required far less food to survive then normal humans. As he paced the gardens, his thoughts went back to the conversation he overheard between Professor Hanji and Mikasa.

"_Is Eren a titan?'_

"_No, he's actually quite different. He's definitely not a normal human being but I still wouldn't put him in the same league with those monsters either."_

Just what did the professor mean by that? If he was neither a human nor a titan, then what was he?

"_Was he born like this?"_

"_It is a possibility but I still don't know enough about him to be certain, at least not yet."_

That question disturbed him even more then the first. Was he truly born with his titan abilities or did he acquire them in some other way? Eren closed his eyes as he thought back to his childhood. He never really thought about it until now but for as long as he could remember, his body had always healed quickly whenever he got hurt. Any minor scrapes or cuts he got were always gone within hours. Even the heavier injuries he later sustained as a cadet were completely healed within a day or two. Eren also remembered that he always ate far less then other children, often to the point where it worried his mother who constantly had to remind him to eat out of fear he would not grow but she was wrong about that. At sixteen, Eren was still taller, stronger, and more resilient then most young men his age. And every time he had his routine check-ups, the doctor always found him to be in perfect health despite eating no more then two or even as little as one meal a day.

And then, there was also the last four days his body healed after taking a vicious beating that would have taken an ordinary person weeks if not months to recover from. Professor Hanji was right about one thing: Eren was afraid of himself, of his own existence. His shape-shifting and healing abilities were unnatural and because of them, there were people who wanted him either dead due to their fear of him or alive so that they can exploit his powers. Upon realizing this, the youth frowned. He had always wanted to become a member of the Survey Corps but not like this. And while he was more then happy to use his abilities to benefit humanity, he still had no desire to be used as a living weapon.

Unfortunately, that choice was no longer his to make.

"Eren?"

The youth looked behind him to find Mikasa also out of uniform and clad in a simple white dress with the scarf he had given her as a gift when they had first met. Despite cutting her long raven tresses, she still looked as lovely and feminine now as she did before they joined the military. Eren smiled upon seeing his foster sister; after everything he had been through, he found her presence very welcoming.

"Mikasa…how did you know I was here?"

"I came to your room but you weren't there so Professor Hanji was kind enough to tell me where to find you. How are you feeling, Eren?"

"I'm feeling much better now, thank you. My bones have mended and all I have are these light bruises you see here; I should be back to normal by tonight or tomorrow."

Mikasa shook her head as she approached her foster brother and gently placed her hand on the side of his face. "I wasn't talking about your body, Eren" she said softly with a hint of anger and sadness in her voice as she remembered how his handsome face came to be bruised.

"Mikasa, the professor explained everything to me earlier today. I understand Corporal Rivaille did what was necessary to save my life so I choose not to hold a grudge against him and you shouldn't either."

Mikasa frowned. "I wish I could be as forgiving as you, Eren" she said bitterly "Its easy to suffer yourself but to watch someone you love suffer is far more painful…"

The youth found himself blushing at his foster sister's confession. Of course, he had always known her affections for him was beyond that of sisterly love; he even heard her admit it to the professor. But to have her say it to his face was a completely different matter. And if he was anyone else, he would have been delighted to hear her say that but soon found himself growing pale after he got over his embarrassment.

"Mikasa…" he began sadly as he gently took her hand that was touching his face "You mustn't say such things. You know what I am now; I am a monster, an abomination, and you mustn't love a monster…"

The girl shook her head as she looked into the beautiful blue eyes of the boy she loved. "No, you're wrong, Eren. You are not a monster, that is the last thing you are. Even if the whole world was to fear you, hate you, wish for your death, I will never forsake you. And do you know why? Because I know who you really are inside your heart." It was true; even as Eren was being tried for his life, he thought only of her, of her safety and well-being, so much that he risked bringing the wrath of the entire court down upon his head by speaking out of turn in her defense when Mikasa herself was accused of being a titan by a fearful juror. No monster could ever be capable of such a selfless act.

Eren's eyes widened slightly as he took in Mikasa's words, unsure of what to say. He had just noticed that it was starting to rain very softly and the cool sprinkles of water felt very soothing to the healing bruises on his face. He also noticed how much lovelier Mikasa looked with the light droplets clinging to her raven hair and long eyelashes. And for the first time in years, he saw tears flowing freely from her beautiful brown eyes, the eyes that could only see the goodness in his heart. It was in that moment that he finally realized how wrong it would be to turn her away. Taking her hand, Eren smiled and pressed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist.

"Mikasa…you never cease to amaze me. How can you not be afraid of me when even I am afraid of myself?" he whispered.

"Eren, its because I know you would never deliberately try to hurt me. And also because… I love you, not as a sister loves her brother, but as a woman loves a man…"

The youth smiled. His whole life, he thought he would never be able to find anyone who truly understood him. How foolish it was of him not to see that the one person who did love him unconditionally had been by his side all along.

"Thank you, Mikasa… I love you too…with all my heart." And to prove it, Eren finally took her in his arms and kissed her, not the brotherly kiss he used to give her when they were children, but the fiery, passionate kiss of a young man in love. Mikasa gasped before returning her lover's embrace and kiss. Upon tasting her soft and sweet lips, Eren finally understood what she had meant earlier. It was far more painful to watch someone you love suffer then suffering yourself but he was not afraid; he loved Mikasa and would do anything, risk anything, withstand any amount of pain to keep her safe. As soldiers, they both knew that they would likely die in battle one day and that Eren had no qualms about it as long as he was with her. He no longer even minded being exploited and used as long as he could live with this noble and beautiful girl at his side…

**SSSSSS**

As the couple stood in the rain, locked in a lover's embrace, a pair of eyes looked down upon them from a window of the highest floor of the hospital.

"You know, spying is bad manners, Corporal Rivaille…" a woman's voice called from behind him.

Levi snorted. "You should talk, Professor Hanji. Your orders were to keep Eren under lock and key until the commander was ready to see him."

Hanji smirked as she set down the cup of coffee she was drinking. "That means a lot coming from you, sir. After what you put him through, I think he deserves this much at least. The boy gave me his word he will not try to leave the hospital grounds and I believe I can trust him. Or are you going to tell Commander Smith I let him go, even just for a little bit?"

Levi glanced over his shoulder at the professor and sighed as he shook his head. "No…you're right. Let him enjoy himself for now; he has a very difficult road ahead of him and will need every break he can get."

Hanji smiled in triumph. "Good, I'm glad you see it my way. Eren is a good and honest young man and I have no doubt that he would be a great asset to us but keep in mind that for all his powers, he is still a human being and not just a weapon to use as we see fit; we'll be in trouble if we forget that."

"Your words cut deep, professor. I do not, nor did I ever have, seen the boy only as a living weapon and neither did I save his life for that reason alone." Levi's expression softened as he said this and Hanji thought she could see a bit of hurt in his eyes. Even though he knew the professor knew him well enough not to believe he would ever try to exploit Eren without any regard for his life, he could not help but be disappointed that she would say such a thing.

Hanji sighed. "My apologies, sir; that was uncalled for. I'm very grateful to you for saving Eren and I hope someday he will be too."

Levi turned his head to look down once more at the young couple. "So do I. But even if he never forgives me, I understand and I won't hold it against him." He said no more as he watched Eren and Mikasa stroll the hospital gardens hand in hand. The truth was, he envied the young man for Eren was just like Levi in his youth before dark times fell upon him and was also strong where he had been weak. Despite his painful past, Eren still chose not to kill his emotions and push those he cared for away from him the way Levi had. He also found it admirable how the young man was still able to maintain an air of dignity, even as he was being chained to a post like an animal and forced to kneel like a slave while being tried for his life; seeing Eren fight valiantly, even in human form, made Levi realize that the youth would one day surpass and replace him as humanity's greatest soldier and he had no qualms about it.

When the couple finally disappeared around a corner, Levi sighed. He had come here to see if he could speak with Eren and apologize for his actions before the youth was to see the commander but it looked like he missed his chance and would have to do it another time for he hadn't the heart to disturb Eren's moment with Mikasa, the girl who looked at him with murderous rage in her eyes as soon as she saw him raise a hand against her love. From the looks of it, he was going to have to apologize to two young people, not just one. But now was not the time and there were other things that required his attention at the moment. Turning to Hanji once more, he said "Professor, I must take my leave of you now. Please make sure Eren is well-cared for until the commander and I can speak to him tomorrow."

The professor nodded. "Yes, of course; he will definitely be ready by tomorrow. I will escort him to Commander Smith myself."

Levi nodded. "Good. Well, I'll see you then, professor; have a good evening…"

Hanji smiled as she gave a slight nod of her head. "You too, sir; good night."

After Levi finally left, Hanji took his spot in front of the window where he was watching Eren and Mikasa earlier. The pair were long gone and she was expecting Eren to return to his room shortly so she could check his condition once more for her report. The rain had passed and the professor found herself smiling at the thought of her new-found friendship with the youth who was to be the Survey Corps' newest member.

_Welcome to the club, Eren Jaeger… welcome to the club…_

**A/N: Ok, my second AoT fic finally done! I know this is a bit longer then the first but I hope my readers don't find it too boring. I love this series and hope that I'll be able to think of more fics for it! ;) See you around! ;)**


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